MLB Player News

Merrifield went 2-for-6 with a solo home run and two runs scored during Thursday's win over Detroit.

The second baseman offers a nice cross-category profile with eight homers, 35 RBI, 15 stolen bases, 37 runs and a .290/.330/.468 slash line. Individually, there aren't any high-end marks, but tilting the scales across multiple stat columns has Merrifield moving the fantasy needle in the the majority of settings.

Franklin will get the day off for Wednesday's series finale against the Nationals, Jeff Fletcher of the Orange County Register reports.

Franklin receives a breather after starting six of the past seven games, going 1-for-13 at the plate during that span. In his place, Cliff Pennington will man the keystone while batting eighth in the order.

Andrus went 0-for-4 at the dish in Monday's 3-1 loss to the Orioles.

After delivering a two-hit performance in his return from the paternity list prior to the All-Star break, Andrus hasn't been able to get much going at the plate over his last five contests, along with most other hitters in the Rangers lineup. He's recorded just two hits in his last 21 at-bats, resulting in a 13-point drop in his season batting average. Andrus has only struck out three times during that span, however, suggesting that he's at least seeing the ball well and could rebound once he enjoys some better luck on balls in play.

Polanco is out of the lineup Monday against the Yankees, Brandon Warne of ZoneCoverage.com reports.

Polanco is batting just .165 since the beginning of June and could be on the outs for an everyday role at shortstop. He'll cede duties at the position to Ehire Adrianza for the second straight contest, though Eduardo Escobar could also factor into the playing-time picture if Polanco settles into a reserve role on a more permanent basis.

Altuve went 2-for-4 with a double, a run and a stolen base Sunday against the Twins.

Altuve continues to contribute across the board. Forty-three of his 121 hits have gone for extra bases, and the diminutive second baseman is on pace to top 30 steals for the sixth consecutive season with 19 in 89 games. Altuve also leads the league with a .350 batting average and is tied for sixth with 65 runs scored.

Franklin will start at second base and bat ninth Sunday against the Rays.

With the Angels announcing earlier Sunday that Danny Espinosa was designated for assignment, Franklin looks poised to assume at least the strong side of a platoon at second base with Cliff Pennington. While Franklin stands to see a surge in at-bats as a result, the 26-year-old is on his third team this season and is a fringe 40-man-roster player, so he probably won't have much leash on a regular role. He's recorded two hits in 15 at-bats since joining the Angels in late June.

Polanco is out of the lineup Sunday against the Astros, LaVelle E. Neal III of the Minneapolis Star Tribune reports.

Polanco has recorded just one hit in his last 22 at-bats, sinking his batting average to .222 for the season. He'll give way to Ehire Adrianza at shortstop Sunday and could begin losing out on at-bats to Eduardo Escobar or Adrianza on a more permanent basis if he fails to turn things around in the near future.

The Angels designated Espinosa for assignment Sunday.

With a .162/.237/.276 batting line over 254 plate appearances this season, Espinosa ranked among the worst-performing regulars in the league, and his nifty defensive work wasn't enough to make up for his empty offensive production. Espinosa's ability to play both middle-infield spots and occasionally hit for some pop could be enough to convince another team to take a flier on him via trade or waivers. However, if the 30-year-old goes unclaimed, he'll likely stick in the Angels organization and report to Triple-A Salt Lake. Barring further upgrades to the position leading up to the trade deadline, the Angels are set to go with a platoon at second base with Nick Franklin and Cliff Pennington.

Altuve went 1-for-4 with a solo home run in Saturday's 4-2 loss to the Twins.

The homer, Altuve's second in the last three games, extended the second baseman's on-base streak to 18 games. During that run, which has included nine multi-hit games, he's slashed .427/.494/.667/1.161 with four homers, six doubles, 10 walks and 17 RBI while striking out just five times over 87 plate appearances.

Merrifield hit .281 with a .768 OPS, seven home runs and 14 stolen bases through 70 first-half games.

Merrifield was passed over for an Opening Day roster spot, but it was only a couple of weeks before he locked down the big-league gig for good. The sophomore has cut his strikeout rate by nearly eight percent from last year while positing an impressive .168 ISO. His 14 swipes are second in the AL only to Jose Altuve, but Merrifield's 93.3 percent success rate on the basepaths is best among all MLB players with at least five steals.